News
Local

Old Steelton church born again

Kevin Belsito purchased the former St. Mary's Lutheran Church on Wellington Street West from Zion Lutheran Church in 2014. St. Mary's merged with Zion Lutheran four years earlier. Belsito had driven by the church “a million times” but had never been inside the place of worship.

Kevin Belsito purchased the former St. Mary's Lutheran Church on Wellington Street West from Zion Lutheran Church in 2014. St. Mary's merged with Zion Lutheran four years earlier. Belsito had driven by the church “a million times” but had never been inside the place of worship.

Lining up engineering, design and drawings took the first year of Belsito's ownership. Renovations began in March 2015.

There'll be one, one-bedroom and two, two-bedroom apartments in the basement which formerly housed a hall and kitchen. A two-storey minister's residence on the east side of the building will become a three-bedroom unit with living room, dining room and kitchen on the main floor.

The church office will become a one-bedroom apartment. Belsito and his family will live in a 2,000-square-foot three-bedroom, three-bathroom unit on the main floor. The worship area had a 21-foot high ceiling. A loft is being added to Belsito's unit.

Apartments start at 600 square feet.

Estimated monthly rent cost is about $800 to $1,100. Main floor units should be done in about six weeks.

Belsito, who grew up in Sault Ste. Marie's west end, plans to include the building's original oak in the new units. Pews will be added to units, where space permits, for a place to sit near entrances. Oak from the pews will also be used for shelving in one or two units. Part of the pulpit will be in the kitchen area of an apartment. The altar will become a kitchen island in Belsito's residence.

“Every unit will have some touches of the original character from the building,” Belsito told The Sault Star. “I was trying as best I could to maintain as much of the original architecture here as I could.”

St. Mary's began at 278 Sixth Ave., in 1923. Neighbouring residents included Finns John Koski and Huya Laakso. St. Mary's was moved to its current address at 355 Wellington St. W., in 1932. A basement was added followed by the minister's residence. Its cornerstone is dated 1942.

Belsito is impressed by the “tremendous” work of the Finnish carpenters who built the church.

“The bones of the building are quite amazing considering its age,” he said. “They did a really good job when they constructed it back in the day.”

A website, www.cornerabbey.com, details the building's history and offers details about each unit.

“A lot of people have shown a lot of interest in the process of converting a church to a residence,” said Belsito. “People either think I'm crazy or this is the coolest thing they've ever heard. People seem to be in two camps on it.”

He declined to say how much he paid for the church and pegs renovation costs, plus other expenses such as permits and mechanical services, as “well into the six figures.”

“It's a costly venture,” said Belsito. “You need to have capital and perseverance to pull something like this off.”

But the church is just what he and his wife, Lynda Francoeur, wanted for their first rental property. They wanted to convert a former commercial or industrial building to residential use. The couple “decided to go for it” when St. Mary's went on the market.

“Anyone can build a square box apartment,” said Belsito. “God knows there's a lot of those in town. I just figured my angle would be that these are going to be units with architectural interest and some history. I'm hoping to attract tenants who will appreciate that like I do.”

Belsito is serving as project manager. He's on site evenings, weekends and holidays. His father, Moe, is general contractor. Recently retired from Essar Steel Algoma, the senior Belsito helped his cousin, Ernesto Tedesco, frame houses when he wasn't working at the plant. Moe has taught Kevin most of what he knows about construction.

Belsito plans to have “a little bit of history” about the church “posted somewhere” in the building.

“I'll try to figure out a tasteful way to do that,” he said.

Belsito plans to extend an invitation to the congregation at Zion Lutheran to tour Corner Abbey Residences after all work is done this fall.

He wants to find a registered charity interested in a large painting of Jesus Christ that was on display behind the church altar before being moved downstairs in the 1950s.

Other churches in the city have been repurposed. St. Stephen Mission, at 143 Salisbury Ave., became a district hall for Canadian Union of Public Employees and is now a private residence. Free Methodist Church was based at 111 Grosvenor Ave., from 1913 to 1974. Several businesses used the church between 1974 and 1995. Six owners have called the church home over the last 21 years.